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If There Were No Photos

what would happen if we lived in a world where photographs of travel destinations really did not exist?

I think it’s actually naive to think in this way, because the fact is that they do exist. and they have existed since the moment the camera was invented and individuals had their photographs taken in far off destinations. the better question is probably what if we stopped taking travel photographs? would our trips be just as worthwhile to us? what if we simply experienced what we saw/did? if you do feel inclined to share, perhaps just wrote about it instead (and by write I mean more than 140 characters).

brings up a good point that many are taking part in today while traveling… unplugging. visiting a destination and experiencing it without worrying about having to share that experience with your online social world. visiting a place purely to have in your memories. check out The Planet D and their trip to Cuba. she’s a woman after my own heart.

I must admit, like Emma, that I found this to be a little difficult at first. and I haven’t decided if wanting to share my travel experiences comes from a place of wanting to show off or more from a place that I really just want to share the world that I see with the people who I know. I hope it’s more from a place of wanting to share the world, especially since I have a good number of contacts on all of my social media that have never traveled where I have been and sometimes will never be able to get to these places. (trust me, I realize how privileged I am to be able to visit all of these different locations.)

I have tried to make more of a conscious effort this year not to worry about photographing every. single. thing. that. I see. or. do. for instance, I sat out on the Champs de Mars on Bastille Day to watch the fireworks from the Eiffel Tower. it was breathtaking. it probably lasted for a good 30 minutes. and the entire fireworks show was accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. it truly was magical. moving in fact. and it’s a memory I will hold dear for the rest of my life. I don’t have a video of it though.

however, it would be wrong of me not to share the whole truth with guys. I do have one photograph of the end. it was like a drug or something. I needed to take a picture to record the event. now whether that picture was just for me to help me remember or it was for sharing, I cannot really say. this is the first time I’m sharing it though, so maybe that says something?

this entire discussion of course leads to the topic of smart phones; just how much time are we spending on them and is it helping or hurting society? I’ll shelve this discussion for a later date.